2017 Fonplegade
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Tasting Notes
This shows a very pretty center palate with blueberries, blackberries and white pepper. Solid tannins and structure. Long and flavorful.
Critic Scores
Average Score
James Suckling
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
The 2017 Château Fonplegade is 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc from a beautiful terroir not far from Pavie. It showed some aggressive tannins, but I suspect they’ll soften and round out during the élevage. The color is deep purple, and it offers a terrific bouquet of cassis and currant fruits, licorice and graphite. Medium-bodied, with nicely integrated oak, a touch of minerality, and solid overall balance, it has plenty of length and oomph on the finish. I suspect 2-3 years of bottle age will be warranted and it will drink nicely for a decade or more.
The deep garnet-purple colored 2017 Fonplegade has quite a spicy nose sporting notes of anise, cloves, fenugreek and black pepper over a core of warm black plums and blackberries plus a waft of potpourri. Medium-bodied with a rock-solid frame of grainy tannins and wonderful freshness, it features bags of vibrant black fruits and a long, spicy finish.
The 2017 Fonplégade has a very classy bouquet with very pure blackberry and raspberry fruit, hints of cassis developing with aeration. The fruit is very well knitted with the oak. The palate is well balanced with fine tannin, crisp acidity, superb structure and delivers a really detailed and convincing finish. Bravo. This is an outstanding Saint-Émilion.